Curtain fixture



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P. G. EMERY CURTAIN FIXTURE Filed March 13 f2@ 5257262?, W 2W Zai/@12275074 @WMM Llllll l I I I l II Patented ct. 14, 1924i.

U N i 'i' 5i wir marc c. nivrnnv, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CURTAN FIXTURE.

Application filed March 13, 1922. Serial No. 543,319.

To @ZZ whom it may concern Be it known that l. Priamo Firmar, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of illinois, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Curtain Fixtures, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to produce a shade stick of thegeneral type used on shades in passenger car windows which shall be of simple rugged construction, in which there will be free rolling contact between the guide heads or shoes and the window frame when the shade is pulled down and a positive locking action to hold the shade lowered against the tension of the spring in the shade roller.

ln devices of this kind the guiding heads or shoes must be adjusted from and toward each other in order to make the stick 'adjustable to window frames varying more or less in width. This adjustment is usually edected by simply turning the heads or shoes about the axis of the stick. Consequently it may happen that at one time one end of the head or shoe is uppermost while at another time the other end is uppermost. Viewed in another of its aspects my invention may therefore be said to have for its object to produce a simple and novel locking device for the head or shoe of a curtain fixture, whereby the free rolling contact when the shade is lowered and the locking of the' shade against upward movement will be obtained irrespective of which end of the head or shoe is uppermost.

After the distance between the heads or shoes on the ends of a shade stick has been properly adjusted it is desirable that the adjustment be maintained and be not accidentally disturbed if the heads or shoes happen to be disengaged from the window frame for the purpose of cleaning or otherwise. Viewed in another of its aspects, my invention may be said to have for its object to produce a simple and novel construction and arrangement which will permit the adjustinent of the effective distance between the guiding heads or shoes on shade sticks to be made readily in the usual way and prevent the adjustment from being changed by any slight forces which would ordinarily cause the guiding heads or slices to rotate when not engaged with a window frame.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the follow* ing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a front view of a shade stick arranged in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section, on an enlarged scale, taken through the left hand half of the stick;

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2, on a still larger scale illustrating a detail of the locking means for preventing accidental turning of the head or shoe; and

Fig. 4L is a section taken approximately on line H of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, l represents a tubular shade stick of any usual or suitable construction. At the center of the same are finger pieces 2 having parts extending through a slot 3 into the stick and each proe vided at its inner end with a screw threaded hub or nut 4. At each end of the stick is a shoe 5 which may conveniently be in the form of a channel, that is U-shaped in cross section. Each shoe is fixed to the outer end of a rod 6 which projects into the corresponding end of the stick and extends axially thereof to one of the screw threaded hubs or nuts. The movement of each finger piece toward the corresponding end of the stick is limited by the length of the slot and therefore by turning the shoes so as to cause the screw threaded ends 7 of the rods toenter farther into the nuts or be un screwed from the same, the distance between the contact surface of the shoes may be adjusted. Each shoe is pressed outwardly as far as the stop consisting of the finger piece attached to the inner end of its rod will permit, by means of a spring 8 housed within the stick bearing at one end against a transverse shoulder in the stick and at its other' end against a shoulder or collar on the rod. ln the arrangement shown, the shoulder or collar on the stick is the bottom of an elongated thimble 9 rotatably mounted in the end of the stick while the other shoulder is an enlarged neck or stem l0 lixed to the head and to which the outer end of the rod 6 is in turn ixed. The rod 6 is non-circular in cross section and the hole in the bottom of the thimble through which it passes has the same configuration. Consequently the rod cannot be turned unless the thimble also is turned. Therefore if means are provided for holding the thimble against accidental rotation, accidental rotation of the rod and therefore also of the shoe will be prevented. Thiscan be conveniently accom lished by placing on the bottom of the thim le, that is at the inner end of the thimble, one or more lugs 11 which, when the thimble is rotated, will engage with one or more stationary lugs 12 fixed to the stick. The lug or lugs 12 may conveniently project forwardly from the front end of a plug 13 fastened in the stick at -thelinner end of the thimble in any suitable way and provided with an axial hole 111 large enough to permit the rod to turn freely therein. The lugs are provided with inclined faces so that when the sleeve is turned in one direction or the other, the lugs will exert a wedging action upon each other in a direction to force the thimble outwardly far enough to permit the lugs or shoulders to pass each other. It will be seen that the spring tends constantly to hold the thimble at the inward limit of its movement and therefore: the wedging action of the'lugs or shoulders is opposed by the spring. Consequently the lugs or shoulders cannot pass eachother unless sufficient force is applied to overcome the tension of the spring. By this means the shoes are satisfactorily held against being accidentally 'rotated without, however, making it didicult to turn them when itis desired to do so for the purpose of adjusting them.

As heretoforestated, the shoes 5' may take any usual or convenient form. In the arrangement shown, each shoe has anti-fric tion devices in the form of rollers 15 at the endsi thereof. In accordance with my invention I provide each shoe with at least one pair of pawls so disposedv that no matter which end of the shoe is uppermost, one of thepawls will Valways tend to swing out into position to lock the stick against upward movement while the other pawl will drop down out of the way; the locking pawl, in true'pawl fashion, simplyriding over the window frame when the shade is. drawn down, without offering any measurable re sistance, so that during the downward movement of the stick there will'be; free rolling contact between the shoes and the frame. It

v willusually be preferable to have two pairs of pawls spaced apart and lying on opposite sidesv of the axis of the stick so as to produce1a balanced distribution of pressure `which will not tend to tilt the shoes.

The i larger in diameter than the pin so that the extreme inner end of the pawl may engage with the bottom of the channel in the shoe Y and the thrust therefrom be imposed directly on the shoe instead of on the pivot pin.V Between the pawls of each pair, in front of the pivotal axes of the latter, is a pin or stop 21. The parts are so proportioned that `whenever the shoe is placed in an upright position one pawl of each pair will tend -to drop down on the corresponding pin or stop 21, in which position its nose will project ra inaterial distance beyond a. line tangent with the outermost portion of the anti-friction devices, that is the line of contact of the anti-Y Y friction devices. At the same timethe other pawl of each pair will drop down out of the way so as to lie entirely clear of thesurface against which the wheels or the other t-wo pawls are resting. In the shown, the pawl 16 of theupper pair and the pawl 17 of the lower pair are in-work ing positions. If the shoe were rotated through an angle of 180 degrees so asto bring the lower end to the top, theA positions of the pawls would be reversed.

It will be seen that when the shoes are placed in the guiding grooves of a win'dow frame, the lower pawl of eachpair will be' idle while the upper pawl of each pair will be in contact with the bottom of the corresponding groove. down, the two working pawls simply ride along the window frame without offering any measurable resistance to the downward movement. As soon as the hold on the shade is released so that the spring is leftfreeto wind the shade up again, the working pawls.

are caused to be swung more nearly into horizontal positions so as to make themproject beyond the line tangent to the outermost points of the anti-friction rollers, in'efiect lengthening the stick so that its ends Vare forced tightly against the two opposed frame members. When it is desired to raise the shade the finger pieces at thecenter of the stick are pressed together in the usual way, so as to carry the locking pawls bodily ,away from the sides of the fra-me.Y

l/Vhile I have illustrated and described with particularity only .ai single preferred arrangement As the shade is pulledform of my invention, I do not desire to be y .limited to the exact structural detailsV thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover All) reines@ all forms and arrangements which come within the terms employed in the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

l claim:

1. The combination with a shade stick, of a shoe on an end thereof provided with antifriction devices adapted to ride along a stationary frame member, and two opposed pawls pivoted to said shoe at their inner ends so as to be capable of swinging around positions in which they lie approximatelj,Y parallel with said stick to positions in which they make an angle. with said stick, the parts being so proportioned that when the shoe held in an upright position, with either end uppermost, one of the pawls will tend to swing out past the line of contact of said anti-friction devices and the other will drop down so as to lie wholly on the inner side of said line.

The combination with a shade stick, of a shoe on an end thereof provided with antifriction frame-engaging devices at the ends,

. two opposed pawls pivoted to said shoe at their inner ends, and a stationary stop between said pawls; the parts being so proportioned and arranged that when said shoe is held in an upright position, ith either end uppermost, one of said pawls will tend to swing down so as to be supported by said pin and project beyond the line of contact. of said anti-friction devices, while the other pawl will hang down out of contact with said pin and lie wholly on the inside of said line.

3, The combination with a shade stick, of a shoe on an end thereof provided with antifriction frame-engaging devices at its ends, two pairs of opposed pawls mounted on the shoe on opposite sides of the axis of said stick; the parts being so proportioned and arranged that when the shoe is held in an upright position, one pawl of each pair will tend to swing downwardly and outwardly far enough to project beyond the line of Contact of said anti-friction devices and the other pawl of each pair will drop down so as to lie wholly within the said line.

il. The combination with a shade stick, of a shoe on an end thereof provided with frameengaging rollers at its ends, two opposed pawls pivoted at their inner ends to said shoe, and a stop between said pawls; the parts being so proportioned and arranged that when the shoe is held in an upright position, with either end uppermost, one of the pawls will tend to swing downwardly into engagement with said stop and project a material distance beyond the outer line tangent to said rollers, while the other pawl will drop down so as to lie wholly inside of said line.

5. In a device of the character described, a shoe U-shaped in cross section, anti-friction devices at the ends of said shoc, two pawis lying within the channel of the shoe, pivot pins carried by said shoe and passing through the inner ends of said pawls, the holes in the pawls through which the pivot pins pass being larger than the pins so as to permit the thrust of the pawls to come against the bottom of the channel, and stop devices associated with the pawls so that when the shoe is held in an upright position with either end uppermost, one of said pawls will tend to swing downwardly into a position in which its free end projects beyond a line connecting the outermost points of said anti-friction devices while the other pawl will drop down so as to lie wholly on the 'inner side of said line.

6. The combination with a hollow shade stick, of an elongated thimble rotatably disposed in one end of said stick, a frame-en gaging shoe, a nut lying within the stick,

a rod attached to the shoe and extending through said thimble, the inner end of said rod being screw threaded into said nut, spring within said thimble acting on said shoe to press it yieldingly outwardly, said thimble and said rod being interlocked to permit the rod to slide in the thimble and compel it to rotate with the thimble, and Co-operating shoulders between the inner end of the thimble and the stick serving to hold the thimble yieldingly against rotation but permitting the thimble to rotate when sufficient force is applied to compress said sprin T far enough to permit said shoulders to ride over each other.

7 The combination with a hollow shade stick, of an elongated thimble rotatably mounted in one end of the stick, co-operating shoulders between the inner end of the thimble and the stick for preventing the rotation of the stick unless the shoulders are moved relatively to each other in the direction of the length of the stick, said shoulders being constructed and arranged to exert a wedging action on each other in a direction to produce the necessary relative movement thereof in the direction of the length of the stick to permit the sleeve to rotate when a turning force is applied to the sleeve, and spring means tending con stantly to yhold said shoulders in interlocked relation with each other.

8. The combination with a .hollow shade stick, of an elongated thimble rotatably disn posed in one end of said stick, a frame-engaging shoe, a nut lying within the stick, a rod attached to the shoe and extending through said thimble, portions of the rod and of the thimble being so shaped that the rod and thimble are held against rotating` relatively to each other, the inner end of said rod being screw threaded into said nut, a spring within said thimble acting on said shoe to press it yieldingly outwardly, said llO thimble and said rod being inter-looked to permit the rod to slide in the thintible and compel it to rotate With the thimble, and cooperating shoulders Vbetween the thiiri'ble and the stick servingv to hold the thirnble yieldingly against rotation but permitting the thimble to rotate Whensufficient force is applied to compress said spring far enough to permit said shoulders to ride over [each other.

9. The combination with a hollow shade stick, of an elongated thimble rotatably disposed in one end of said stick, a fraineengagingy shoe a nut lying Within the stick, a rod attached to the shoe and extending through said thimble, portions of the rod` and of the thiinble being so shaped that the rod and the thimble are held against-rotatin'g relatively to each other, the inner end of said rod being screw threaded into said nut,- a spring W1thin said thimble acting on said shoe to press 1t y1elding'ly outwardly7 Said thimble and said rod being interlocked.

to permit the `rod to slide in the thinuble and ooinpel it to rotate with the thinible, and co-ope'ratiii'g shoulders between the inner end of the thiin'ble and the stickserving to hold the thinible yieldingly against rota- PL-Aro e. minier. 

